1.
Netherlands
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The Netherlands, also informally known as Holland is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three territories in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing borders with Belgium, the United Kingdom. The three largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Amsterdam is the countrys capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The port of Rotterdam is the worlds largest port outside East-Asia, the name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. Netherlands literally means lower countries, influenced by its low land and flat geography, most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, with a population density of 412 people per km2 –507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a population and higher population density. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is the worlds second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products and this is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate. In 2001, it became the worlds first country to legalise same-sex marriage, the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G-10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EUs criminal intelligence agency Europol and this has led to the city being dubbed the worlds legal capital. The country also ranks second highest in the worlds 2016 Press Freedom Index, the Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom. It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world, reflecting its high quality of life. The Netherlands also ranks joint second highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, the region called Low Countries and the country of the Netherlands have the same toponymy. Place names with Neder, Nieder, Nether and Nedre and Bas or Inferior are in use in all over Europe. They are sometimes used in a relation to a higher ground that consecutively is indicated as Upper, Boven, Oben. In the case of the Low Countries / the Netherlands the geographical location of the region has been more or less downstream. The geographical location of the region, however, changed over time tremendously

2.
SBV Vitesse
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Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse, commonly known as SBV Vitesse, Vitesse or Vitesse Arnhem, is a Dutch football club based in Arnhem, which was founded on 14 May 1892. Since 1998, the club has played its games at the GelreDome. The idea of conceiving a football team stemmed from the early roots as a cricket club. In 1990, the club reached its most recent KNVB Cup final when it was defeated by PSV on a penalty kick in the 75th minute from Stan Valckx at De Kuip on 25 April 1990, karel Aalbers was the president of the club from 1984 until February 2000. Aalbers goal was to bring Vitesse from the bottom of the Second League and he developed the basic idea for the Gelredome, a stadium with a sliding pitch that can be moved out of the building. Later, the system was applied in Gelsenkirchen and in Japan. Events such as pop concerts can be held without damaging the grass and it has a roof that can be opened and closed. It is fully climate controlled as well, in the first season after the opening, Gelredomes attendance rose to 20,000, Vitesse ranked top four positions, made profit and showed a solid balance sheet in the final years of his presidency. Aalbers resigned on 15 February 2000, after the sponsor, Nuon. Nuon, as a utility company, owned by local authorities, had trouble explaining why it invested heavily in Aalbers ambitious plans. In a short period of time, Vitesse began to show negative financial results, the club survived numerous financial crises, such as the last one in 2008, when debts were bought of, under the threat of bankruptcy. In 2010, the club was bought by Georgian businessman Merab Jordania and its home is the unique GelreDome stadium opened in 1998, featuring a retractable roof and a convertible pitch that can be retracted when unused during concerts or other events held at the stadium. The stadium was finished in time to host three group matches during the Euro 2000 tournament held in the Netherlands and Belgium. Its current capacity for football is 25,000, the capacity for shows is around 34,000. Their previous home was the Nieuw Monnikenhuize, the clubs training ground and youth development system are based at the National Sports Centre Papendal. As of 2012 the clubs pitches have been renewed, where under-soil heating was introduced, the new accommodation was completed and opened in the first half of 2013. For recent transfers, see List of Dutch football transfers summer 2016 Note, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. For recent transfers, see 2016–17 Vitesse season, Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules

3.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany

4.
Sparta Rotterdam
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Sparta Rotterdam is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional team in the Netherlands. In the 2016–17 season, Sparta will play in the Eredivisie, the club is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord. On 1 April 1888, several students from Rotterdam founded a club called Sparta. In July 1888, a branch of the club was established. In 1890, Sparta played its first real football match, Sparta was promoted to the highest league of Dutch football on 23 April 1893. In 1897, Sparta withdrew from the competition after continuous dubious arbitration of Sparta matches, the club continued to exist, however, and in 1899 the board of Sparta visited a match of Sunderland. Impressed with the jersey of the English club, the board decided that Sunderlands colours would henceforth be the colours of Sparta. In 1905, Sparta initiated and organised the first home match of the Netherlands national team, the match, won 4–0 by the Netherlands, was a rematch of a game two weeks prior, when the Netherlands beat Belgium 4–1 in Antwerp, Belgium. The first match at Spartas new stadium, Het Kasteel, in the Spangen area of west Rotterdam, was played on 14 October 1916, the stadium was renovated in 1999 and is still Spartas stadium. Until the 2002–03 season, Sparta had always played at the highest level, Sparta returned to the Eredivisie for the 2005–06 season. They were relegated again in 2010, on 20 August 2010, they equalled Ajaxs and Heracles Almelos Dutch league record win when they defeated Almere City 12–1 with Johan Voskamp scoring an Eerste Divisie record 8 goals on his debut. After six years in the Eerste Divisie, Sparta again won promotion to the Eredivisie in April 2016 after a 3–1 win over Jong Ajax won them a lead over second placed VVV-Venlo. Sparta has won six titles and three national cups. The best footballers of Rotterdam and Antwerp contested a match between 1909 and 1959 for the Meuse- and Scheldt Cup. It was agreed to play the game at stadium Het Kasteel in Rotterdam, the cup was provided in 1909 by Kees van Hasselt from Rotterdam and P. Havenith from Antwerp. The Sparta Jeugdopleiding is a certified youth academy and amongst the strongest in the nation. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality, note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules

5.
Koninklijke HFC
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Koninklijke HFC is a football club in Haarlem, Netherlands. It is the oldest club in Dutch history, founded by Pim Mulier in 1879, during the first years the only team played rugby but due to financial problems they switched to association football. The first official match in the Netherlands was played in 1886 between HFC and Amsterdam Sport. They currently play in the Tweede Divisie, a semi-professional tier re-established for the 2016-17 season and its the third tier of the Dutch football pyramid. Koninklijke HFC was the first Dutch Rugby club, established on September 15,1879 by the 14-year-old Pim Mulier, however HFC switched to association football in 1883. In 1899 they moved from their home ground De Koekamp to the Spanjaardslaan where until today they still play their matches. In that period the Spanjaardslaan, the east-west road at the edge of the oldest public park of the Netherlands was part of Heemstede. The Netherlands national football team played two of their matches at the Spanjaardslaan. Both matches were versus Belgium, resulting in a 1-2 loss, in the past HFC contributed several players to the Netherlands national football team. Of those players goalkeeper Gejus van der Meulen obtained the most caps,54, at present his grandson still plays for HFC. Before the Dutch championship was officially established HFC won three national titles, 1889-1890 1892-1893 1894-1895 Three times in the clubs history they won the KNVB Cup. In the cup competition of 1903-1904 HFC beat VVV from Amsterdam with 25-0, the club was named Koninklijk in 1959,80 years after the club was founded. Since 1923 the first team of HFC plays the opening match of a new year versus a selection of former Dutch international players on January 1, as of 1 February 2016 Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality

6.
Go Ahead Eagles
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The Go Ahead Eagles are a Dutch football club from Deventer, as of 2016 playing in the Eredivisie. The clubs home stadium is De Adelaarshorst, the club won the national championship in 1917,1922,1930 and 1933. The club was founded in 1902 as Be Quick, by the brothers Hollander, the name was soon changed to Go Ahead at the request of the Dutch Football Association. The suffix Eagles was added in 1971, following a suggestion from the then coach, the eagle is the charge in the coat of arms of the city of Deventer. The Go Ahead Eagles were famously the only side to defeat Ajax in any competition during the 1971–72 season and they have played in the Europacup II once, in the 1965–66 season. They lost in the first round to Celtic, after almost two decades in the second division, Go Ahead won promotion to the Eredivisie at the end of the 2012–13 season, winning the promotion play-offs. The club remained in the top division for the 2014–15 season, Go Ahead Eagles would compete in Europe in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League due to the Netherlands first place in UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking. National Fair Play winner FC Twente withdrew due to financial difficulties, however, they also suffered relegation after losing 2–0 on aggregate to De Graafschap in the May 2015 promotion/relegation play-offs. The club bounced back to the Eredivisie on the first attempt in May 2016, Go Ahead Eagles biggest rivals are PEC Zwolle. Both clubs are located at the river IJssel, hence the name IJssel-derby, in the early years Go Ahead was the best club in the region but since the relegation to the Dutch First Division in 1987, Zwolle has won most derbies. Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Eerste Divisie List of football clubs in the Netherlands Official website Club profile at Weltfussballarchiv Online fanzine Bozen van het Oosten

7.
HVV Den Haag
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HVV is an amateur football club in The Hague, Netherlands. It was founded in 1883 as an extension of HCC, the Hague Cricket Club, since then it has been called Koninklijke Haagse Cricket & Voetbal Vereniging, abbreviated KHC&VV. The clubs grounds since 1898 have been at De Diepput, on the border between Benoordenhout and Wassenaar and it now also plays tennis, squash and judo and has around 1750 members. HVV was the most successful Dutch football club prior to World War I, two of its players won bronze medals with the Dutch side in the 1912 Olympic football tournament. Subsequently, it was superseded as top club in the Hague by HBS and its last season in top-flight football was 1932. The introduction of professionalism by the KNVB in 1954 did not affect lower division clubs such as HVV, HVV is now an amateur football club. The first shirt emblazoned with the star will be sold at an auction on 24 November 2007 to mark the opening of the clubs new clubhouse. It won the first, unofficial, national championship in 1884 and its first XI is still in the top division. It was so dominant after World War I that its second XI was allowed into the top division in 1925, the following year these two sides shared the national title, and the second XI won it outright on several occasions. In this list, indicates second XI, indicates joint champions who shared the title

8.
Eredivisie
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The Eredivisie is the highest echelon of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of football in the Netherlands. At the end of the 2015–2016 season it was ranked the 13th best league in Europe by UEFA, the top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club meets every other club twice during the season, once at home, at the end of each season, the club at the bottom is automatically relegated to the second level of the Dutch league system, the Eerste Divisie. At the same time, the champion of the Eerste Divisie will be promoted to the Eredivisie. The next two clubs from the bottom of the Eredivisie go to separate promotion/relegation play-offs, the play-offs are played in two groups. Each group has one Eredivisie club and three high-placed clubs from the Eerste Divisie, in both promotion/relegation play-off groups, each club plays a home-and-away series with the other clubs. The winner of each group plays in the following seasons Eredivisie. The winner of the Eredivisie claims the Dutch national championship, AFC Ajax has won most titles,24. PSV Eindhoven are next with 18, and Feyenoord follow with 9, since 1965, these three clubs have won all except for three titles. Ajax, PSV and Feynoord are known as the Big Three of Dutch football and they are the only ones in their current forms to have appeared in every edition of the Eredivisie since its formation. A fourth club, FC Utrecht, is the product of a 1970 merger between three of that clubs, one of which, VV DOS, had also never been relegated out of the Eredivisie. From 1990 to 1999, the name of the league was PTT Telecompetitie. From 2002 to 2005, the league was called the Holland Casino Eredivisie, since the 2005–06 season, the league has been sponsored by the Sponsorloterij, but for legal reasons its name could not be attached to the league. Within this deal the five largest Eredivisie clubs should receive 5 million euros per year for the duration of the contract, from the foundation of the Dutch football championship until 1954, the title was decided through play-offs by a handful of clubs who had previously won their regional league. The competition was purely an amateur one, the Royal Dutch Football Association rejected any form of payment, the call for professional football grew in the early fifties after many national team members left to play abroad in search for financial benefits. The KNVB would usually suspend these players, preventing them from appearing for the Dutch national team, after the North Sea flood of 1953, the Dutch players abroad organised a charity match against the French national team in Paris. The match was boycotted by the KNVB, but after the assembled Dutch players defeated the French, to serve the growing interest, a dissident professional football association and league were founded for the 1954–55 season

9.
HFC Haarlem
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HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889 and dissolved in 2010. The club won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, Haarlem reached the second round of the 1982–83 UEFA Cup, losing to Spartak Moscow of the Soviet Union. Haarlem was declared bankrupt on January 25,2010, and excluded from football with immediate effect. Haarlem played its last professional match on January 22,2010, the team played in Tweede Klasse A Saturday Division, West District I in its debut season. The club was founded on October 1,1889, Haarlem won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Dutch cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912 and losing in 1911,1914 and 1950. Haarlem won the title in the Eerste Divisie in 1972,1976 and 1981, in 1982, HFC Haarlem, featuring a young Ruud Gullit, qualified for UEFA Cup football, in which they were eliminated by Spartak Moscow in the second round. In 1990, Haarlem was relegated to the Eerste Divisie again, in which played until January 25,2010. On August 10,2009, Haarlem and AFC Ajax announced a partnership, on January 25,2010, however, Haarlem was declared bankrupt and was thus according to Dutch league rules excluded from competition, with all its previous results in the ongoing competition expunged. The club in its current form ceased to exist, with all its players becoming free agents, in February 2010, HFC Haarlem was reinstated as a new amateur club, who also took the naming and logo rights from the old version